Harry Potter: Hunted
by maskedmanme
Summary: Takes place during the Summer before 5th year, right after the Dementor attack. What If Mr. Weasley hadn't told Harry to stay, what if Ministry representatives arrived to snap his wand?
1. Chapter 1 : On The Run

**Harry Potter: Hunted**

 **Chapter 1**

 **On The Run**

Harry could not believe what had just happened. Dementors _here_ , in Little Whinging…

Dudley lay curled up on the ground, whimpering and shaking, Harry bent down to see whether he was in a fit state to stand up, but then heard loud, running footsteps behind him; instinctively raising his wand again, he spun on his heel to face the newcomer.

, their batty old neighbour, came panting into sigh. Her grizzled grey hair was escaping from its hairnet, a clanking string shopping bag was swinging from her wrist, and her feet were halfway out of her tartan carpet slippers. Harry made ro stow his wand hurriedly out of sight but –

"Don't put it away, Idiot boy!" she shrieked. "What if there are more of them around? Oh, I'm going to kill Mundungus Fletcher!"

What?" said Harry blankly.

"He left!" said Mrs. Figg, wringing her hands.

"Left to see someone about a batch of cauldrons that fell off the back of a broom! I told him I'd flay him alive if he went, and now look! Dementors! It's just lucky I put Mr. Tibbies on the case! But we haven't got time to stand around! Hurry, now, we've got to get you back! Oh, the trouble this is going to cause! I will kill him!"

"But —"

The revelation that his batty old cat-obsessed neighbor knew what dementors were was almost as big a shock to Harry as meeting two of them down the alleyway.

"You're — you're a witch?"

"I'm a Squib, as Mundungus knows full well, so how on earth was I supposed to help you fight off dementors? He left you completely without cover when I warned him —"

"This bloke Mundungus has been following me? Hang on — it was him! He Disapparated from the front of my house!"

"Yes, yes, yes, but luckily I'd stationed Mr. Tibbies under a car just in case, and Mr. Tibbies came and warned me, but by the time I got to your house you'd gone — and now — oh, what's Dumbledore going to say? You!" she shrieked at Dudley, still supine on the alley floor. "Get your fat bottom off the ground, quick!"

"You know Dumbledore?" said Harry, staring at her.

"Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't know Dumbledore? But come on — I'll be no help if they come back, I've never so much as Transfigured a teabag —"

She stooped down, seized one of Dudley's massive arms in her wizened hands, and tugged.

"Get up, you useless lump, get up!"

But Dudley either could not or would not move. He was still on the ground, trembling and ashen-faced, his mouth shut very tight.

"I'll do it." Harry took hold of Dudley's arm and heaved: With an enormous effort he managed to hoist Dudley to his feet. Dudley seemed to be on the point of fainting: His small eyes were rolling in their sockets and sweat was beading his face; the moment Harry let go of him he swayed dangerously.

"Hurry up!" said Mrs. Figg hysterically.

Harry pulled one of Dudley's massive arms around his own shoulders and dragged him toward the road, sagging slightly under his weight. Mrs. Figg tottered along in front of them, peering anxiously around the corner.

"Keep your wand out," she told Harry, as they entered Wisteria Walk. "Never mind the Statute of Secrecy now, there's going to be hell to pay anyway, we might as well be hanged for a dragon as an egg. Talk about the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery . . . This was exactly what Dumbledore was afraid of — what's that at the end of the street? Oh, it's just Mr. Prentice. . . . Don't put your wand away, boy, don't I keep telling you I'm no use?"

It was not easy to hold a wand steady and carry Dudley along at the same time. Harry gave his cousin an impatient dig in the ribs, but Dudley seemed to have lost all desire for independent movement. He was slumped on Harry's shoulder, his large feet dragging along the ground.

"Why didn't you tell me you're a Squib?" Harry asked Mrs. Figg, panting with the effort to keep walking. "All those times I came round your house — why didn't you say anything?"

"Dumbledore's orders. I was to keep an eye on you but not say anything, you were too young. I'm sorry I gave you such a miserable time, but the Dursleys would never have let you come if they'd thought you enjoyed it. It wasn't easy, you know. . . . But oh my word," she said tragically, wringing her hands once more, "when Dumbledore hears about this — how could Mundungus have left, he was supposed to be on duty until midnight _— where is he_? How am I going to tell Dumbledore what's happened, I can't Apparate —"

"I've got an owl, you can borrow her," Harry groaned, wondering whether his spine was going to snap under Dudley's weight.

"Harry, you don't understand! Dumbledore will need to act as quickly as possible, the Ministry have their own ways of detecting underage magic, they'll know already, you mark my words —"

"But I was getting rid of dementors, I had to use magic — they're going to be more worried what dementors were doing floating around Wisteria Walk, surely?"

"Oh my dear, I wish it were so but I'm afraid — MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

There was a loud _crack_ and a strong smell of mingled drink and stale tobacco filled the air as a squat, unshaven man in a tattered overcoat materialized right in front of them. He had short bandy legs, long straggly ginger hair, and bloodshot baggy eyes that gave him the doleful look of a basset hound; he was also clutching a silvery bundle that Harry recognized at once as an Invisibility Cloak.

"'S' up, Figgy?" he said, staring from Mrs. Figg to Harry and Dudley. "What 'appened to staying undercover?"

"I'll give you undercover!" cried Mrs. Figg. " _Dementors_ , you useless, skiving sneak thief!"

"Dementors?" repeated Mundungus, aghast. "Dementors here?"

"Yes, here, you worthless pile of bat droppings, here!" shrieked Mrs. Figg. "Dementors attacking the boy on your watch!"

"Blimey," said Mundungus weakly, looking from Mrs. Figg to Harry and back again. "Blimey, I . . ."

"And you off buying stolen cauldrons! Didn't I tell you not to go? _Didn't I_?"

"I — well, I —" Mundungus looked deeply uncomfortable. "It . . . it was a very good business opportunity, see . . ."

Mrs. Figg raised the arm from which her string bag dangled and whacked Mundungus around the face and neck with it; judging by the clanking noise it made it was full of cat food.

"Ouch — gerroff — gerroff, you mad old bat! Someone's gotta tell Dumbledore!"

"Yes — they — have!" yelled Mrs. Figg, still swinging the bag of cat food at every bit of Mundungus she could reach. "And — it — had — better — be — you — and — you — can — tell — him — why — you — weren't — there — to — help!"

"Keep your 'airnet on!" said Mundungus, his arms over his head, cowering.

"I'm going, I'm going!" And with another loud _crack_ , he vanished. "I hope Dumbledore _murders_ him!" said Mrs. Figg furiously. "Now come _on_ , Harry, what are you waiting for?"

Harry decided not to waste his remaining breath on pointing out that he could barely walk under Dudley's bulk. He gave the semiconscious Dudley a heave and staggered onward.

"I'll take you to the door," said Mrs. Figg, as they turned into Privet Drive. "Just in case there are more of them around. . . . Oh my word, what a catastrophe . . . and you had to fight them off yourself . . . and Dumbledore said we were to keep you from doing magic at all costs. . . . Well, it's no good crying over spilled potion, I suppose . . . but the cat's among the pixies now . . ."

"So," Harry panted, "Dumbledore's . . . been having . . . me followed?"

"Of course he has," said Mrs. Figg impatiently. "Did you expect him to let you wander around on your own after what happened in June? Good Lord, boy, they told me you were intelligent. . . . Right . . . get inside and stay there,"she said as they reached number four. "I expect someone will be in touch with you soon enough."

"What are you going to do?" asked Harry quickly. "I'm going straight home," said Mrs. Figg, staring around the dark street and shuddering.

"I'll need to wait for more instructions. Just stay in the house. Good night."

"Hang on, don't go yet! I want to know —" But Mrs. Figg had already set off at a trot, carpet slippers flopping, string bag clanking.

"Wait!" Harry shouted after her; he had a million questions to ask anyone who was in contact with Dumbledore; but within seconds Mrs. Figg was swallowed by the darkness. Scowling, Harry readjusted Dudley on his shoulder and made his slow, painful way up number four's garden path.

The hall light was on. Harry stuck his wand back inside the waistband of his jeans, rang the bell, and watched Aunt Petunia's outline grow larger and larger, oddly distorted by the rippling glass in the front door.

"Diddy! About time too, I was getting quite — quite — Diddy, what's the matter?" Harry looked sideways at Dudley and ducked out from under his arm just in time. Dudley swayed for a moment on the spot, his face pale green, then he opened his mouth at last and vomited all over the doormat.

"DIDDY! Diddy, what's the matter with you? Vernon? VERNON!"

Harry's uncle came galumphing out of the living room, walrus mustache blowing hither and thither as it always did when he was agitated. He hurried forward to help Aunt Petunia negotiate a weak-kneed Dudley over the threshold while avoiding stepping in the pool of sick.

"He's ill, Vernon!"

"What is it, son? What's happened? Did Mrs. Polkiss give you something foreign for tea?"

"Why are you all covered in dirt, darling? Have you been lying on the ground?"

"Hang on — you haven't been mugged, have you, son?"

Aunt Petunia screamed.

"Phone the police, Vernon! Phone the police! Diddy, darling, speak to Mummy! What did they do to you?"

In all the kerfuffle, nobody seemed to have noticed Harry, which suited him perfectly. He managed to slip inside just before Uncle Vernon slammed the door and while the Dursleys made their noisy progress down the hall toward the kitchen, Harry moved carefully and quietly toward the stairs.

"Who did it, son? Give us names. We'll get them, don't worry."

"Shh! He's trying to say something, Vernon! What is it, Diddy? Tell Mummy!" Harry's foot was on the bottommost stair when Dudley found his voice.

"Him." Harry froze, foot on the stair, face screwed up, braced for the explosion.

"BOY! COME HERE!"

With a feeling of mingled dread and anger, Harry removed his foot slowly from the stair and turned to follow the Dursleys. The scrupulously clean kitchen had an oddly unreal glitter after the darkness outside. Aunt Petunia was ushering Dudley into a chair; he was still very green and clammy looking. Uncle Vernon was standing in front of the draining board, glaring at Harry through tiny, narrowed eyes.

"What have you done to my son?" he said in a menacing growl.

"Nothing," said Harry, knowing perfectly well that Uncle Vernon wouldn't believe him.

"What did he do to you, Diddy?" Aunt Petunia said in a quavering voice, now sponging sick from the front of Dudley's leather jacket. "Was it — was it you-know-what, darling? Did he use — his _thing?_ "

Slowly, tremulously, Dudley nodded.

"I didn't!" Harry said sharply, as Aunt Petunia let out a wail and Uncle Vernon raised his fists. "I didn't do anything to him, it wasn't me, it was —"

But at that precise moment a screech owl swooped in through the kitchen window. Narrowly missing the top of Uncle Vernon's head, it soared across the kitchen, dropped the large parchment envelope it was carrying in its beak at Harry's feet, and turned gracefully, the tips of its wings just brushing the top of the fridge, then zoomed outside again and off across the garden.

"OWLS!" bellowed Uncle Vernon, the well-worn vein in his temple pulsing angrily as he slammed the kitchen window shut. "OWLS AGAIN! I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MORE OWLS IN MY HOUSE!"

But Harry was already ripping open the envelope and pulling out the letter inside, his heart pounding somewhere in the region of his Adam's apple.

Dear Mr. Potter, We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle. The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand. As you have already received an official warning for a previous offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on August 12th.

Hoping you are well,

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hophirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic

Harry read the letter through twice. He was only vaguely aware of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia talking in the vicinity. Inside his head, all was icy and numb. One fact had penetrated his consciousness like a paralyzing dart. He was expelled from Hogwarts. It was all over. He was never going back.

He looked up at the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon was purple-faced, shouting, his fists still raised; Aunt Petunia had her arms around Dudley, who was retching again.

Harry's temporarily stupefied brain seemed to reawaken. _Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand._ There was only one thing for it. He would have to run — now. Where he was going to go, Harry didn't know, but he was certain of one thing: At Hogwarts or outside it, he needed his wand. In an almost dreamlike state, he pulled his wand out and turned to leave the kitchen.

"Where d'you think you're going?" yelled Uncle Vernon. When Harry didn't reply, he pounded across the kitchen to block the doorway into the hall. "I haven't finished with you, boy!"

"Get out of the way," said Harry quietly. "You're going to stay here and explain how my son —"

"If you don't get out of the way I'm going to jinx you," said Harry, raising the wand.

"You can't pull that one on me!" snarled Uncle Vernon. "I know you're not allowed to use it outside that madhouse you call a school!"

"The madhouse has chucked me out," said Harry. "So I can do whatever I like. You've got three seconds. One — two — three — Ducklifors! "

 **AN: All the Above (except Harry casting Ducklifors is copied from Harry Potter and The Order of the Pheonix)**

A brilliant yellow light burst from Harry's Wand and impacted Vernon, who was enveloped in a bright banana-yellow light.

Aunt Petunia shrieked and Dudley, who was still suffering from the effects of the Dementor Attack fainted, just as the light subsided to reveal a terrified and panicked duck.

"It'll wear of in a few days," said Harry, before he turned and continued on his way up to his room. Just as Harry opened the door to his room he heard the distinctive _crack_ signifying apparition.

Harry quickly made sure that he had everything, before he place a password activated shrinking charm on his trunk and Firebolt. He put the Trunk into his pocket as two men in official looking robes came into his room.

"Who are you?" questioned Harry, he of course knew who they were, the ministry officials here to snap his wand.

"Hand over your wand," the one on the left said calmly, he was a short-plump wizard with blond hair and blue eyes, covered by an ugly pair of thick glasses, similar to Trelawny's, he was dressed in a light blue robe, the same colour as his eyes.

"I don't think so… Slugulus Eructo!" yelled Harry, causing a green light to erupt from his wand and hit the blond wizard, who kneeled over and started vomiting slugs on the dusty floor of his bedroom.

The other Wizard, Long, with black hair and eyes, were an equally dark robe, pointed his wand at Harry and cast, " Expelliarmus!"

"Protego! Flipendo!" There was a loud bang as the knockback jinx took effect and the wizard was sent right into a wall, landing on some slugs vomited by his other partner, who was still vomiting, and his wand, which lay next to him, was covered in slime.

Without waited for the dark-haired wizard to get up Harry ran down the stairs, his belongings inside the shrunk trunk, which was inside his pocket.

His Firebolt and Invisibilty Cloak in one hand, his wand in the other he reached the living room, and found the Dursley's gathered still gathered around Dudley, who was still, looking very ill.

"Give him chocolate, he'll feel better."

"Stupefy," Harry leapt away just in as the stunning spell flew right were his head was and impacted the wall, leaving a scorch mark.

Harry turned around from his spot on the ground and said quickly, "Anteoculatia! Expelliarmus!"

A burst of red light caused the wizard to sprout antlers, which unbalanced him, causing him to tumble down the stairs and be hit easily by the disarming spell, which Harry followed up with a "Stupefy!" rendering the ministry representative unconscious and out of the fight.

Harry then ran out of the house before any more ministry officials arrived to check help the two he had already defeated.

As Harry rounded the corner, he heard several loud _cracks_ signifying apparition, which meant that Harry couldn't fly off on his broom right now, otherwise he would be caught, so saying the password to shrink his broom, he quickly put it inside his pocked and ran quicker, hoping to get far enough away from Privet Drive, to somewhere they could not find him.

Harry knew now that he was on the run from the Ministry and Voldemort. Harry would have to find a safe place where he could hide from both Voldemort and the Ministry, and a place where the wards would stop his magic from being detected, giving him the ability to practice magic and continue his education, without attending Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter 2: A New Home

**Harry Potter: Hunted**

 **Chapter 2**

 **A New Home**

Harry let out a loud laugh, filled with joy and happiness, as he flew on his broom. Had had took of flying at about 3am, to make sure that no one was awake to see him.

He had escaped from Privet Drive after the ministry had sent 2 of its representatives, from the Misuse of Magic Office, to snap his wand. Harry of course, didn't allow that, and after a rather short duel he was able to escape away from Privet Drive, away from the Ministry, and hopefully, away from Dumbledore's spies, the ones that Mrs. Figg told him were following him around.

But now he was faced with a new problem, he couldn't spend the rest of his life flying around randomly. Ideally, he would prefer to find a house to stay in. The Burrow was out of question.

He didn't want to get Ron and his family in trouble. So as Harry landed his broom in the middle of a forest, he realized that he needed help. Perhaps, he could ask Ron, or Hermione, but both of them would suggest that he come live with them, or go to Dumbledore for assistance.

But Harry wasn't exactly happy with Dumbledore right now. After all, Dumbledore had made his friends swear not to right any useful information in the letters they sent. Also, he had assigned several people to spy on him, without his knowledge.

Suddenly, Harry was struck with an Idea. Maybe Dobby could help him. After all, he had helped him in his preparation of the 2nd task, providing him with the required Gillyweed.

However, Harry was unsure about how to call Dobby, would he arrive if Harry called him? It is worth a try.

"Dobby!"

With a loud _pop_ Dobby appeared,

"The great Harry Potter sir has called Dobby! What can Dobby do for Harry Potter Sir?"

"Well Dobby, I need a place to stay. Do you happen to know one?"

"Dobby has heard his old masters talk about a Potter Manor belonging to Harry Potter Sir, why don't you go there sir?"

"I never knew there was a Potter Manor?" said Harry, utterly shocked by the revelation that he owned a manor. "Do you know where it is?"

"No, Sir! But Dobby can find out!"

"Thank you Dobby, and tell me if you find anything."

One Delores Jane Umbridge sat in her office smiling gleefully, here plan had worked perfectly. Not exactly how she planned it… but the results were better than even she could have predicted.

She had never anticipated the brat's ability to cast the Patronus Charm. It was quite a lucky event for Delores, if the boy was kissed, he would have been silenced permanently, but however his ridiculous claim would not be easily forgotten.

So having him as a known criminal and who would spend 3 years in Azkaban and have his wand snapped upon capture however, is enough to discredit anything he says.

Even Dumbledore withdrew his support of the Potter boy's claim. Saying that he had been fooled by the boy, and formally apologising on to the Ministry.

Delores new this was all a ruse to get back into the people good opinions and attempt to take over the ministry again, after the Potter brat accidently ruined his first attempt.

She would forever stand by Cornelius' side ready to stand in the way of anyone who dares topple his government. After all, if he goes, she does as well.

Delores hoped Fudge didn't discover that she sent the Dementors after Potter. After all, she would lose her job.

 _What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him…_

Despite Rita Skeeter's suspicious disappearance, the Daily Prophet stepped up its attacks against Potter. The latest one surprised even herself.

 **Harry Potter**

 **The Next Dark Lord**

 **Harry Potter claimed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned. However, in a shocking turn of events, he cast a Patronus Charm in a Muggle infested area, before duelling the two ministry Aurors sent to destroy his wand, and defeating them within seconds.**

All a load of lies, of course, the boy defeated two wizards from the Misuse of Magic Office, not Aurors, and the Duel lasted longer than a few minuites.

 **No doubt through the use of serious dark magic, not taught at Hogwarts.**

The boy only used Transfiguration Spells, Stunners and Disarming Spells.

 **It was a miracle that no one died that night, and the Aurors only escaped with minor injuries.**

The wizards weren't harmed at all.

 **He has managed to avoid the Aurors since then, furthering our belief that he has used Dark Magic. As only Sirius Black, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's right hand man, has been capable of escaping from the Aurors.**

 **However, the question remains of how he was capable of evading the Ministries methods of detecting under-age magic. The only option that presents itself is the fact that Potter might not be using his wand.**

 **Has he really mastered Wandless Magic? Or has he simply been using a Stolen Wand?**

 **Susan Finnigan**

Ms. Finnigan was clearly exaggerating; Potter didn't master _wandless magic_ the entire idea that he might have, was utterly ridiculous. The only reason that he had avoided ministry detection was because Potter didn't use Magic.

However, the article served Delores well. It would spread fear of Potter. Lower the people respect and adoration of their Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry was currently standing in front of a large mansion that Dobby had led him to. Awaiting outside the gates was a house-elf, similar to the one beside him.

Harry walked forward cautiously, staring around in awe. He had been utterly shocked when he knew of the existence of Potter Manor, But to see it, standing there in all its glory was twice as shocking.

He refused to believe that this was his, he had never expected his family to own anything other than the small cottage in Godric Hollow where his parents died.

As they neared the house, the elf bowed and said,

"Welcome Master Harry. It's a pleasure to see you again!"

The elf's voice was terribly high pitched and squeaky.

"Did we meet before?" Harry was a little perplexed at the elf's claim to have meet him, Harry was sure he would have remembered him if he ever had.

"Yes Sir, When you were 2 month old, master," that made sense.

"So this is Potter Manor?"

"Yes, Sir"

"It's mine?"

"Yes, Sir"

"No one else lives here?"

"Only us House Elves, Sir"

"Can I stay here than?"

"Of Course, Sir"

"Can you prepare me something to eat? I haven't eaten in days."

"Our Pleasure, Sir"

"And can you not tell anyone that I'm here?"

"Of course, Sir"

"Thank You, what did you say your name was?"

"Splinky, Sir"

"Can you show me were my room is? And clean it."

Splinky nodded his head quickly and turned moving rapidly into the house, leaving Harry no choice but to follow.

They walked through pristine white corridors, up long stairs, until they reached a bedroom on the third floor.

Its walls were red and gold. There was a large bed in the middle of the room, and a large wardrobe.

The room was as twice as large as Dudley's room.

Harry turned to Splinky and said, "This is mine?"

"Yes, Sir"

"You're sure?"

"Yes Sir"

"Can I do magic here? Without the Ministry detecting me?"

"No, Sir. The Ministry will detect you sir," said Splinky, "But Splinky can remove the Trace, Master, so the ministry can't track you, sir."

"You can do that?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Thank You, Splinky."

Splinky then snaps his fingers and says, "It is Done, Master."

Splinky pops of, leaving a speechless Harry Potter standing there. Watching the Sun Set through the window in his new bedroom.


End file.
